OROVILLE >> A mother whose 19-month-old girl was found dead in October 2012 was sentenced to state prison Wednesday for child endangerment.

Butte County Superior Court Judge Tamara Mosbarger sentenced Amanda Christine Easton, 23, of Oroville, to the middle term of five years, four months on two felony counts of child endangerment.

Outside of court, deputy district attorney Jennifer Dupre-Tokos said the charges were for the living conditions that Easton exposed her daughter Elizabeth Marie Bowen and her then-3-year-old son to at the house on the 1200 block of Fourth Avenue in Oroville.

Dupre-Tokos said there is an ongoing investigation into how Bowen died.

Child found dead

Oroville police officers have previously said Easton returned home on Oct. 12, 2012, and called 9-1-1 after discovering the child wasn”t breathing. Bowen had been left with a babysitter, but it wasn”t known at the time when the child was last checked.

The medical examiner later found that Bowen had been dead for several hours. District Attorney Mike Ramsey said in March 2013 that the autopsy showed that low potassium and sodium led to heart failure, the cause of death. He said there was insufficient evidence at the time to link any of Easton”s activities with Bowen”s death, but there was evidence of neglect leading to the endangerment charges.

Dupre-Tokos said outside of court Easton kept her residence in a horrible, unsafe state. There was evidence of a cockroach infestation, old food and food residue throughout the house, spilled dog food and sharp objects such as knifes on or near the floor. Some objects, such as televisions, were stacked atop each other and could have been easily toppled.

“No child should be subjected to these conditions,” Dupre-Tokos said.

Defense sought probation

Wednesday”s sentencing was set after Bowen pleaded no contest to the endangerment charges in July and a prison diagnostic and evaluation ordered by the judge in September.

During the sentencing, defense attorney Jesus Rodriguez asked for the judge to place Easton on probation.

Rodriguez said after the hearing that state prison diagnostic was split on whether a prison sentence was appropriate. He said Easton was working with Children”s Services Division to reunite with her son.

The attorney said Easton would be the first to admit she wasn”t the best mother at the time and was seeking a chance to turn things around.

“She was making a lot of steps in the right direction,” Rodriguez said. “Unfortunately, the judge sentenced her to prison.”

Dupre-Tokos said after the hearing that the judge made an accurate, reasoned decision.

The prosecutor had argued Easton wasn”t an appropriate candidate for probation. She said it wasn”t also appropriate at this time for Easton to be reunited with her son.

Dupre-Tokos had also pointed out that the Probation Department and state prison reports noted Easton didn”t appear to show signs of remorse. She said the defendant made statements of remorse, but Easton”s actions didn”t match her words.

Rodriguez said he believed Easton was remorseful, but didn”t outwardly show it.

Easton was given 340 days in custody credits and may be eligible for parole in May 2016.